DIANTHUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



DIANTHUS. 



545 



much attention to self-coloured Carnations, 

 and till recently there was a scarcity of 

 fine varieties. We may now have them 

 in all shades of colour. They combine 

 hardiness and vigour with free blooming 

 and great effect. For the flower garden 

 they are the most important. They 

 should be grown in bold groups or simple 

 masses associated with Roses or choice 

 hardy flowers. 



The Tree Carnation is very valuable 

 as a pot plant ; or, if planted out in a 

 greenhouse border, it produces flowers in 

 winter and spring, when none can be had 

 out-of-doors. The most popular of this 

 class is Souvenir de la Malmaison, with 

 large cream-coloured blossoms and de- 



advancement of Carnation culture in 

 gardens where we should see and grow 

 fine selfs of brilliancy and beauty. As 

 garden flowers Carnations have been 

 badly treated, and yet there is no brighter 

 and sweeter flower for the garden 

 throughout summer and autumn. This 

 fact is dawning on English raisers, but we 

 have had the greatest success with fine 

 French-raised selfs that combine hardi- 

 ness with good form and colour, and, what 

 is more precious, a perpetual blooming 

 habit. Nothing could be better than 

 Countess of Paris, Carolus Duran, Colin 

 de Harville, Mad Roland, Murillo, 

 Madame Lafausse, Mdlle. Rouselle, 

 Veronica, Jenny Lind, Comte de Mel- 



Bed of Carnations at Bulwick. 



lightful fragrance, and from this have 

 been obtained sports of different colours ; 

 so that, with these and other varieties, 

 there is now no difficulty in obtaining 

 all colours, from pure white to bright 

 scarlet. 



As a rule, the choice-named varieties of 

 Picotees and Carnations for show are 

 grown in pots, but we confine our remarks 

 to their culture in the garden, also treating 

 of it, shortly, from the exhibiting florist's 

 point of view. 



A great number of people still think 

 Carnations are tender, and they coddle 

 them up in frames throughout the winter. 

 The florists, too, continue much in their 

 •old ways, which do not tend to the 



bourne, and Flora. Of English kinds the 

 only one we have had to equal the pre- 

 ceding is Alice, a white self of perfect 

 form and a perpetual bloomer. Some 

 standard kinds of the present are : Ketton 

 Rose, Purple Emperor, Mrs. Muir, Ger- 

 mania. Rose Celestial, Emma Lakin, Hebe, 

 Mary Morris, Mrs. Reynolds Hole, Aline 

 Newman, Celia, and Joe Willett. 



Soils. — The soil has a marked influence 

 upon Carnations. In very light hot soils as 

 in Surrey they cannot be grown well at all. 

 They want a loamy soil, but as this varies 

 in texture and richness so the plants vary 

 in growth. In very rich soils they are so 

 luxuriant that it is necessary to make new 

 plantations, annually destroying the old 

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